Name: Czech Tomato Soup with Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 portions
Ingredients: 50 g butter; 1 pc onion; 2 pcs carrot; 2 tablespoons plain flour; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 250 ml passata; 1500 ml water; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vinegar; 2 pcs bay leaves; 4 pcs allspice; salt; ground pepper; 150 g rice

Step by step process

Tomato base

1
Tomato soup starts with onion and carrot. Finely chop the onion, coarsely grate the carrot and sweat them both slowly in melted butter until golden, so the vegetables caramelise and turn sweeter.
2
Dust with flour and stir to make a light roux. Stir in the tomato paste, fry it briefly, then pour in the passata and gradually add the water so no lumps form and the base thickens nicely. Lightly fried tomato paste gives the soup a deeper colour and flavour.
TIP:
Briefly sauteing tomato paste and dry spices in fat enhances both their flavor and aroma. The tomato paste loses its raw acidity, and the spices bloom more fully. Just a few dozen seconds is enough - just don't let the mixture burn.

Cooking and seasoning

3
Add the bay leaf, allspice and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, until the carrot softens and all the flavours come together into a smooth, fragrant soup with a velvety texture.
4
Fish out the bay leaf and allspice and blend the soup until smooth. Return it to the stove and season with sugar and vinegar until it is pleasantly sweet-sour and velvety smooth, with that typical gently sweet note.
TIP:
After cooking, blend the sauce until smooth for a silky texture and add a bit of butter to soften it and enhance the flavor. This method works well with most sauces and dressings.
5
Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package. Ladle the finished soup into bowls and add a mound of rice to each. Serve hot, ideally with a slice of fresh bread or a homemade roll. If you like a heartier version, add more rice to the bowl.

More tips:

For a velvety texture, blend the soup with an immersion blender. If you like chunks of vegetables, you can skip the blending.

Adjust the sweet-sour balance gradually. Add the sugar first, taste, and only then fine-tune with vinegar, as every tomato paste has a different acidity.

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